Do you all remember when you couldn't even fine a Wii in stores (circa 06-07)

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Poll of the Day » Do you all remember when you couldn't even fine a Wii in stores (circa 06-07)
fettster777
09/11/2025
03:15 PM
#1
You guys thought it was hard to find a PS5 for a while. Let me tell you about the Wii. I worked at an electronics store back then, big chain one, and we literally would tape flyers to the doors saying we would have a stock of Wii's on a certain day and people would line up for them before opening on that day. Then get pissed when they all went in seconds because we got a shipment of like 5. People CONSTANTLY asking if we had Wii's in stock every single day. Most people who wanted one weren't even gamers or had kids who were gamers. They just wanted it for the "cool motion controls" and to play Wii Sports. Many of them we did get to sell to they didn't even buy a game with it because it came with the only game they wanted.
adjl
09/11/2025
03:57 PM
#2
It's really quite baffling that Reggie had to fight tooth and nail to convince Iwata to agree to packing Wii Sports in with the Wii. The overwhelming response to that idea had been that they didn't want to devalue the work on the game by giving it away (which is why Welcome Tour has a price tag), but it did so much to drive sales of the system that it was clearly the right choice to include it for free.
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Damn_Underscore
09/11/2025
04:29 PM
#3
I preordered a Wii so no. I remember being so excited because I paid for it myself
Heed the detour, life's like a seesaw
Ups and downs, and I bet there will be more
man101
09/11/2025
04:35 PM
#4
I got one by dumb luck. I had pre-ordered twilight princess but not the console itself, because I didn't think it would be so hard to find one. Called GameStop to check on the morning of release and they said their entire supply was pre-ordered. Stopped at two other stores on the way to see if they had any in stock. Eventually resigned myself to the fact that I was going to have to just sit and not be able to play the game for a while.

Then while at GameStop standing at the register buying the game the guy ringing me up answered the phone and the person who called canceled their Wii pre-order. So he hung up and said, "well now we've got one in stock, do you want it?"

I think I was the only one of my friends who had one for like two weeks.
\\[T]// Praise the Sun
FrozenBananas
09/11/2025
04:51 PM
#5
I remember running to like 10 different stores on Black Friday trying to find one with my friend
Big yellow joint big yellow joint I'll meet you down at the big yellow joint
ParanoidObsessive
09/11/2025
05:51 PM
#6
I don't remember that, because I was never looking for one.

But it's not surprising considering it became the trendy gimmick toy for a while, that even non-gaming normies were buying to play with at parties and then shove into their closet to collect dust for the next 8 months.
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FrozenBananas
09/11/2025
05:57 PM
#7
The normies love Wii sports / fit
Big yellow joint big yellow joint I'll meet you down at the big yellow joint
Salrite
09/11/2025
06:26 PM
#8
I member. I got my first job in July of 07 and went out with my first paycheck to see if there were any Wiis available. After over a year, I FINALLY found some in stock. But at the time, I was also really itching to get a 360 and play Dead Rising, so I ended up getting that instead. Took me a while longer to finally get a Wii, but I believe after that point, there really weren't any stocking issues anymore.

man101 posted...
I had pre-ordered twilight princess but not the console itself, because I didn't think it would be so hard to find one.

I did that, too. I got Red Steel as well. When I finally did get a Wii, I ended up barely playing it. I think I got like an hour into Twilight Princess before quitting. Never touched it again.
Salrite
09/11/2025
06:27 PM
#9
Also, Wii shortages were so heavily part of the Zeitgeist that there was a South Park episode on it
man101
09/11/2025
07:19 PM
#10
Salrite posted...
I did that, too. I got Red Steel as well. When I finally did get a Wii, I ended up barely playing it. I think I got like an hour into Twilight Princess before quitting. Never touched it again.
Yeah I think I only ever owned about 5 games for the Wii when all was said and done. Ended up selling the whole bundle years later and then when I started dating my wife she had one and so I re-bought a copy of Twilight Princess and I still have not touched it like 7 years later because every time I consider it I remember how the game was actually not as good as I wanted it to be. Welp.
\\[T]// Praise the Sun
Far-Queue
09/11/2025
07:41 PM
#11
I can't find a Wii in store now

Them shits is sold out everywhere I go
What's better than roses on your piano?
Tulips on your organ.
Salrite
09/11/2025
08:49 PM
#12
Far-Queue posted...
I can't find a Wii in store now

Them shits is sold out everywhere I go

I worked at Walmart end of last year and it's funny how many people still come in asking for Wii games
faramir77
09/11/2025
10:40 PM
#13
I preordered my Wii (with a money deposit) and arrived at the store less than 10 minutes after they opened on launch day, and they sold my preorder to someone else anyway. I've never preordered anything ever since.

I ended up getting one over a month later right after New Years by waiting outside an EB Games in -15 weather for 3 hours. All this just to get Twilight Princess on the Wii.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XiCtAUrZbUk
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ToastyPOP
09/11/2025
10:46 PM
#14
That's why I opted for the gamecube version of TP. I knew I wasn't getting a Wii anytime soon.

The gamecube version didn't come out until almost a month after the Wii version too...
#15
Post #15 was unavailable or deleted.
JixHedgehog
09/11/2025
11:42 PM
#16
Did an all nighter outside of Wal*Mart and played Mario Kart DS with a bunch a guys

They almost gave my Wii away when they called my name and I wasn't nearby

Good times, good times

The Switch midnight launch at the same store was basically a walk in
KJ_StErOiDs
09/12/2025
12:06 AM
#17
Nope; missed the early rush. Got my Wii in 2008.
"Shhh! Ben, don't ruin the ending!" --Adrian Ripburger, Full Throttle
faramir77
09/12/2025
12:14 AM
#18
ToastyPOP posted...
That's why I opted for the gamecube version of TP. I knew I wasn't getting a Wii anytime soon.

The gamecube version didn't come out until almost a month after the Wii version too...

I got that version many years later. Made me laugh because it's clearly better than the Wii version. I should have just done that and got a Wii later in 2007.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XiCtAUrZbUk
-- Defeating the Running Man of Ocarina of Time in a race since 01/17/2009. --
fettster777
09/12/2025
10:33 AM
#19
I ended up owning like 4 games for Wii. Smash Bros, Mad World (why I have no idea), Epic Mickey, and New Super Mario Bros. I only ever played Smash bros and Mario. Never touched the other two.
KingInBlack
09/12/2025
11:20 AM
#20
No, I didn't want one since they had no real controllers and it was aimed at non-gamers.
Your loyalty lies on the wrong side of the future
Damn_Underscore
09/12/2025
12:22 PM
#21
KingInBlack posted...
No, I didn't want one since they had no real controllers and it was aimed at non-gamers.

They had the Classic Controller

Also a Pro version with handles
Heed the detour, life's like a seesaw
Ups and downs, and I bet there will be more
man101
09/12/2025
01:25 PM
#22
faramir77 posted...
I preordered my Wii (with a money deposit) and arrived at the store less than 10 minutes after they opened on launch day, and they sold my preorder to someone else anyway. I've never preordered anything ever since.

This kind of shit is why I wouldn't patronize GameStop or another big video game chain even if I were still buying physical games with any frequency. They just have no respect for holding up their end of an agreement.

When I pre-ordered (and fully paid for) Dark Souls for the 360 I got the call the night before telling me my pre-order would be ready for pickup the next day at whatever time they open. Went in the next morning and the store was gone. They straight up closed the location between when I pre-ordered and the release date and didn't bother to update their notification system. When I went to another location later that day the manager more or less said "not my problem" and was going to refuse to give me a copy until I asked for his name and essentially threatened to take him to court. Then he finally relented. Haven't shopped at GameStop ever since.

\\[T]// Praise the Sun
adjl
09/12/2025
01:39 PM
#23
Damn_Underscore posted...
They had the Classic Controller

Also a Pro version with handles

Generally speaking, anyone who busts out a comment like "the Wii didn't have a real controller" probably isn't worth engaging with. That's somebody who just wants to hate on the system and isn't actually interested in thinking about the matter.

man101 posted...
They straight up closed the location between when I pre-ordered and the release date and didn't bother to update their notification system. When I went to another location later that day the manager more or less said "not my problem" and was going to refuse to give me a copy until I asked for his name and essentially threatened to take him to court. Then he finally relented.

That should probably actually have been a matter of asking him for the contact info for the district manager. He was right that his location wasn't responsible for filling the preorders of a different location, but GameStop as a corporate entity was still responsible for honouring it (or else refunding you). The DM's response would likely have been to just tell the guy to give you a copy, though (they should have designated a different store to fill preorders from the closed one, but if they hadn't, defaulting to the one you were currently at would make sense), which is presumably why he relented.
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DeathMagnetic80
09/12/2025
08:25 PM
#24
adjl posted...
It's really quite baffling that Reggie had to fight tooth and nail to convince Iwata to agree to packing Wii Sports in with the Wii. The overwhelming response to that idea had been that they didn't want to devalue the work on the game by giving it away (which is why Welcome Tour has a price tag), but it did so much to drive sales of the system that it was clearly the right choice to include it for free.

Which is funny because the NES and SNES did so well because they had killer apps as pack ins. I guess they thought they were established enough to not need that anymore, but the Game Cube was kind of a failure compared to previous gens.
OHJOY90
09/13/2025
02:11 PM
#25
I remember there being a big buzz about it for a while. I think they were sold out for what, 2/3 Christmases straight before the stock issues died down?

Mum pre-ordered one on Amazon for the family the Christmas it came out. Had to go on Amazon as soon as they went live a few months before launch to make sure we got one.
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DeathMagnetic80
09/17/2025
02:31 PM
#26
This did remind me that when I worked at Target, a couple days before Christmas we actually found two Wiis in our stock room when I was working in electronics. I lied to security and told them I was taking my "last break" (I'd already had it) because I couldn't buy anything while not on break and bought the last one in the store for my brother who had been looking for one, and had him pay me for it later.
fettster777
09/17/2025
02:51 PM
#27
I remember I actually "won" one from Lockerz if any of you remember that. Geez that was such a disaster. Anyway somehow a ton of people won more than they had so they just gave everyone $50 gift cards instead.
#28
Post #28 was unavailable or deleted.
SunWuKung420
09/20/2025
03:56 PM
#29
I kept trying to give the Wii tickets but since they were always sold it, it was very difficult to fine.
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rexcrk
09/20/2025
05:33 PM
#30
Yeah I remember not being able to find one until like April 2007. That sucked because I had my copy of Twilight Princess since launch
Tell my tale to those who ask. Tell it truly, the ill deeds, along with the good, and let me be judged accordingly. The rest.. is silence.
kingdrake2
09/21/2025
11:46 PM
#31
i wish i could remember the time i bought a wii. i know i had one at one point (think i bought it in person).

can remember ps3 purchase no problem. paid 240$ for the super slim system with grand theft auto 5 at a fred meyer.
currently playing: Fallout 4 (ps5)
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Snoregasm
09/22/2025
11:31 AM
#32
adjl posted...
It's really quite baffling that Reggie had to fight tooth and nail to convince Iwata to agree to packing Wii Sports in with the Wii. The overwhelming response to that idea had been that they didn't want to devalue the work on the game by giving it away (which is why Welcome Tour has a price tag), but it did so much to drive sales of the system that it was clearly the right choice to include it for free.
Firmly believe that every console should come packaged with "a game".
Guilty of snore crimes
Far-Queue
09/23/2025
02:02 PM
#33
Snoregasm posted...
Firmly believe that every console should come packaged with "a game".
Amen bro
What's better than roses on your piano?
Tulips on your organ.
MrMelodramatic
09/23/2025
02:12 PM
#34
I remember my dad surprise waking me up at like 3 am to take me to Walmart because they had an early morning shipment of Wiis and had been selling out super quick. Waited in line for two hours and got it! I skipped school that day and played Wii Sports and Twilight Princess all day
Forever Momo; Always EPic
adjl
09/23/2025
02:41 PM
#35
Snoregasm posted...
Firmly believe that every console should come packaged with "a game".

I can see either argument. The biggest issue is the question of what happens if the pack-in game is something a given prospective customer doesn't want. That means they either have to accept spending money on something they don't want, or are turned away from making the purchase because they don't spend that money. Avoiding that means that the pack-in game should either be unoffensive enough that most people will want it, or cheap enough that it doesn't meaningfully inflate the cost of the console (or both). That, however, means that people are still going to have to buy a "real" game to "really" use the console, so you haven't actually solved the problem mandatory pack-ins were meant to solve.

Basically, let's be real: The people that bought a Wii who were happy with only having Wii Sports would have pretty happily paid $20-40 for Wii Sports. The people that bought a Wii and wanted more than Wii Sports still had to buy a more robust game. Packing Wii Sports in was a massive marketing win not because it saved people from having to buy a game, but because its universality turned the Wii into a cultural phenomenon as everybody shared funny stories about wiimote accidents and Queen Elizabeth playing tennis with her grandsons. Everyone that bought a Wii had some experience playing Wii Sports, becoming part of that cultural prominence.

I don't disagree that including a game with every system makes sense, given that you need at least one game to actually use the system, but I think that's mostly solved by bundles, especially bundles that include really popular games like Mario Kart. Otherwise, it'd be neat to see console purchases include something like a 50% off coupon for one game of your choice, but I understand why bundles are preferred over that (they sell copies of games that people might not have bought if not for the discount, while people are more willing to pay full price for the games they really want if there isn't a readily available alternative).
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Shadowbird_RH
09/23/2025
02:52 PM
#36
I actually bought my Wii off my younger brother's friend. I was surprised I managed to get it in under warranty when the disk drive blew.
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adjl
09/23/2025
02:54 PM
#37
The disc drive went on mine in the middle of a 5+ hour session of Xenoblade, during which I saved exactly once, about half an hour before it died. I felt pretty lucky about that, though not so lucky about having to pay $85 (iirc) to have it repaired.
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man101
09/23/2025
04:22 PM
#38
adjl posted...
Otherwise, it'd be neat to see console purchases include something like a 50% off coupon for one game of your choice,
This feels like the proper solution. 50% off any game for that console that you purchase at the same time. However that does put the responsibility on the retailer to track that and do wade through the red tape to get reimbursed. And the deal would probably have to be limited to first party titles only, otherwise the console manufacturer would be on the hook for reimbursing the retailer for half the cost of a third party game. Could get messy. But in theory I like this more than having no game included or one specific game.
\\[T]// Praise the Sun
adjl
09/23/2025
04:50 PM
#39
man101 posted...
This feels like the proper solution. 50% off any game for that console that you purchase at the same time. However that does put the responsibility on the retailer to track that and do wade through the red tape to get reimbursed. And the deal would probably have to be limited to first party titles only, otherwise the console manufacturer would be on the hook for reimbursing the retailer for half the cost of a third party game. Could get messy. But in theory I like this more than having no game included or one specific game.

The easiest option would be to charge retailers $30-40 less for the systems, letting them pocket the difference to offset what they'd lose selling the game at half price. It's not perfect, since retailers could abuse it by not selling the discounted game to customers that don't realize the deal is there, but it would cut out the logistical issues of requesting reimbursements. That, or it would just be a digital coupon, which is probably the more likely option.
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Revelation34
09/23/2025
05:04 PM
#40
Nobody would have played Wii Sports if it wasn't bundled.
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adjl
09/23/2025
05:35 PM
#41
Revelation34 posted...
Nobody would have played Wii Sports if it wasn't bundled.

It wasn't bundled in Japan, and by May 2008 it had sold 3 million copies there (from my cursory search for regional sales data, which didn't find anything more recent). Beyond that, a non-trivial number of Wii owners only owned Wii Sports and bought the system specifically for it, and they could be expected to have bought it as a separate game (provided it wasn't too expensive).
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_____Cait
09/23/2025
11:34 PM
#42
I remember my roommate at the time had one, but he didnt like it. So he sold it to me for a good price.
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ConfusedTorchic
09/24/2025
12:02 AM
#43
by the time i wanted a wii they were readily available, but this was when they released that "updated" model without the gamecube stuff, so it had been out for some years at that point
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Beveren_Rabbit
09/24/2025
01:51 AM
#44
I have good memories of the message boards while waiting for the release for Brawl.
*flops*
adjl
09/24/2025
01:44 PM
#45
The Brawl board was a cesspool, but it was *our* cesspool.
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Poll of the Day » Do you all remember when you couldn't even fine a Wii in stores (circa 06-07)